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| President William Ruto at the interdenominational prayer service |
President William Ruto now says the government will not apologise for giving to the church.
He said they will continue giving so that the word of God can continue reaching others, adding that their giving is how they serve God.
“So, we have absolutely no apologies to make as we give to God. Because God gave first,” he said.
Ruto spoke on Sunday during an interdenominational service at Kapsitet Primary School in Kericho County.
The President emphasised that they will continue giving as they are a product of giving.
“We are going to give for the building of the church and for God’s work. Our salvation is a product of giving. It is God who gave first. That is why we have the privilege to know Christ,” he said.
Citing the Holy Scripture, Ruto said they understand the word of God enough to know that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
“That is what we are going to do. So don’t fret. We will build our churches, we will partner to spread the word of God,” he said.
The President added that he has been building churches for 30 years and has never lacked.
“I know the secret of giving and I know what it does. As William Ruto, I am a product of giving and therefore I know what I should do,” he reiterated.
Ruto said he will also teach others on giving without ulterior motives of political or competitive basis.
He however said it is okay to continue giving regardless of the reasons behind the service as long as Christianity is spread across the country.
This comes a week after Catholic Bishops rejected the President’s donation of Sh5.8 million.
Metropolitan Archbishop Philip Anyolo, in a statement on November 19, said funds already received would be returned.
President Ruto had donated Sh600,000 to the choir and Sh2 million for the construction of the Father’s House, along with a promise of an additional Sh3 million and a parish bus. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, on his part, contributed Sh200,000.
“Politicians are most welcome to attend Church for their spiritual nourishment, but they are encouraged to do so as ordinary Christians, without leveraging their political gain,” Anyolo said.
The Bishop stressed the importance of maintaining the Church’s neutrality to serve as a place for spiritual growth and community support, free from political influence.
by SHARON MWENDE